A Very British Trip Report - California 2005 - Day 19 & Summary

[UKANGEL]

well Kev, those reports weren't bad I suppose, for a beginner...... Loved them of course, and can't wait to see all the pix (amd all of you as well of course!)

Next time we all go away together I'm not gonna bother writing mine....oh, I didnt last time either......

 

[LSmith]

Kevin,

Thanks for another amazing trip report. Very informative and fun to read. The British have a great sense of humor which is why this Canadian lurker always reads the UK trip reports first. If your family ever visits Toronto, e-mail me and we will show you around our great city.

 

[carolfoy]

Kevin - thanks So much for another great report, it was reading your previous ones that made me join the DIS proper rather than lurk forever, have thoroughly enjoyed it all

 

[UKDEB]

We then attempt, with some trepidation, to use Virgin on-line check-in again. A miracle, it works! We have our pre-booked seats

Noooooooooooooo! Another theory debunked. How do we explain all the previous bad luck? Are you telling me the Stringers aren't jinxed after all?

San Francisco – A slight disappointment. I’d read and seen so much about it that I thought it would be wonderful. Sometimes you can know too much about a place

This is so true. San Francisco is reportedly the most beautiful City in the World. Surely it's always going to be a disappointment. I had absolutely no expectations at all about Washington and I was blown away.

Solvang – a lovely little place. I know many will laugh at my lack of sophistication in liking a manufactured touristy town, but I found it clean, tidy and rather welcoming

I can't help but make a comparison with another favourite place of ours, my friend.

Yosemite and Kings Canyon – An experience never to be forgotten. Kings Canyon is quieter and a couple of nights was enough there, but that doesn’t detract from it’s beauty and relative isolation.

Some of the things we saw in Yosemite will live with me forever. I’ve looked at the photos since we’ve been back, but they just can’t capture the sheer size of the mountains and valleys we saw. Hiking for 9 miles from Glacier Point was a real adventure. Not one I’d care to repeat every day of the week thank you very much, but unforgettable all the same. Yosemite is probably the most striking place I’ve ever been

You could be talking about our experience of Shenandoah/Blue Ridge Mountains

WDW v Disneyland – Susan told me that whenever her late husband Scott (a real Disney fan) was asked to choose between the two, he would refuse saying that he liked both and found joy in both. I would like to have met Scott; he was obviously a very wise man. Why should you have to choose? And how could you compare even if you wanted to?
WDW is obviously so much larger than DL that any comparison would be silly. The only thing you might try to do would be to compare both Magic Kingdom’s. Even this is a pointless exercise. Just visit both, have fun in both and be grateful you had the opportunity

Hallelujah to that. Even though I've never visited DCL.

 

[UKDEB]

You must be very proud of your family, they all, including the two grans sound pretty amazing

They are absolutely as wonderful as Kev makes them sound and I am very honoured to be able to count them amongst my friends. And I mean that most sincerely. I first met the Stringer family on my 40th birthday at a DIS meet. It probably wasn't the way I'd have expected, or chosen, to have spent my 40th birthday, but sometimes you have to believe in fate.

 

[Kevin Stringer]

They are absolutely as wonderful as Kev makes them sound and I am very honoured to be able to count them amongst my friends. And I mean that most sincerely. I first met the Stringer family on my 40th birthday at a DIS meet. It probably wasn't the way I'd have expected, or chosen, to have spent my 40th birthday, but sometimes you have to believe in fate.

Friendship's a 2 way street. I feel we have a reciprocal relationship. I haven't a clue what that means, but it sounds good doesn't it?

Thanks for the kind words Deb.

Kev

 

[solgent]

I'm writing as an American who really enjoys the UK and British perspective on life. The trip reports were really fun.

As for San Francisco, which I have visited many times, I think that one thing that Americans really like about it is the weather. If you think about our major (in size & cultural importance) cities-- New York, Boston, Chicago, LA, DC, Miami, SF-- San Francisco has by far the best climate. It doesn't get too hot or cold. The other thing is because of the location & the geography, there is a lot of opportunity for water views.

Does this add up to "the most beautiful city in the world"? I don't even know what that means. You can never see a whole city, except in a postcard photo taken from a helicopter. SF has many beautiful places, but so do many other cities.

 

[diberry]

I've finally caught up with your WONDERFUL trip reports Kev and thought they were superb!!!! Of course I especially enjoyed the last 3 days when you were at DLC - amazing to think we were there those 3 days too - how on earth did we miss each other?????? Well, I'm sorry we did because you sound like a wonderful family. Our impressions of rides vary quite a bit but that's because we are wussies and don't like anything more exciting than Splash Mountain but we certainly agree about how wonderful the 2 Californian parks are and also the fireworks show and Fantasmic. We LOVED the climate too - though it has to be said we've decided to return to WDW next year!
Thank you SO much for your wonderfully dry and witty - and very British - sense of humour!!

 

[arieljasmine]

I am totally behind on trip reports, Kevin, so have only just finished reading yours. Thanks very much for sharing your trip with us, I have so enjoyed reading about it.

And I am soooooo jealous that you guys saw Eddie Izzard!!!!!!

ArielJasmine

 

[danandjackie]

Hi Kevin, read your trip reports a while ago, great as usual, just seen your photos ( as advised by Susan). Wow! Your photographer deserves a medal. I know Yosemite is a fantastic place but your pics are exceptional.

Jackie

 

[Desire 2b a princess]

As you know I am Hooked on reading your reports. They are FAB

Nikki

 

[Disney owl]

Many thanks for once again sharing your family holiday with us

 

[afcgirl]

Thank you so much for posting your fabulous reports. I just spent the afternoon reading them and perusing your pictures on your website. You make me want to run out and book a trip to California. I live in the US and sometimes I forget about the tremendous beauty we have here that you captured in your photos. Now I just need to find the time to do everything you did. Unfortunately, in America, if you take off more than a week at a time for vacation, you are considered a slacker .

As others have mentioned, you really do have a great writing style and you often had me laughing out loud. Great job.

 

[Hermosa11]

Gosh, I lost your report for a bit! I remember reading it last year and then stopped. Why, I cannot remember, but I just whent thru the rest and totally enjoyed it! I loved your DL photos. Great job! Beautiful daughters.
Thanks for sharing! I am so glad I finished!